Daniel simmons



rs garrot ffice.

, Lettere Patent N. SSAQG, de

IMPltVB'D RMLWAY S'WITH.

d e tliettle refont tt it there tttttt tout mit matin ,nrt ,at tte time.o u Y p o TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, DANIEL SIMMO'S, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in AutomaticRailroad Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making a portieri oi'- this specification, inwhich- Figure l isa partiel vertical longitudinal section o" a railroadswitch and a locomotive, constructed according to or furnishedA with myinvention. i

Figure 2 fr horizontal section of the same..

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both gures.

This Ainvention consists in a novel arrangement of parts, whereby theoperating-bars, after having acted npon'the heed of one `of the leversbetween the rails, to turn the switch in on'e direction or the other, asthe case may be, are automatically lifted upout of the way, so as not tobe interfered with by the vhead of the other lever when passing over thesame.

The invention further consists in a novel means ot' locking theswitch-rails in position, whereby any displacement of the switch iseiicctually guarded against.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of myinvention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to thedra-wings.

A. indicates the rails of the main track, and B those of the turn--outor side track, while the switch-rails ore shown nt C, one end, va', of'each of theilatter working in the chair in such manner as to allow therequisite lateral movement of the said switch-rails in the operation ofthe switch, and the free endsA of the said switchrails being connectedby a transverse bar, a*. D' indicates two horizontal lerers, which aresituated between the rails A, nearly or quite in line with each other,and with their innermost ends connected by a vertical pin, d', each ofthe said levers being pivoted at or near its centre to one of the tiesE, which support the rails, by means of a vertical pivot, C. Formed uponthe outer end of each lever D is a head, A*, the extremity of which ismoderately sharp or pointed, as shown at a, in tlg. 2, and the side orlateral edges of which are inclined or situated at an angle to eachother, es shownat ab in the eforesaid iig. Projecting laterally fromcach side of the rearmost part of each of these heads A* is a strongpin, 5*. The innermost end of one of the levers D is connected with theswitclnrails C by means of two rods c, the slots e formed in the innerends of the said rods, and through which the lever D is passed, beingmade obiong'rin order to allow a limited lateral movement of the leverwithin the slots, the purpose of which will hereinafter appc'arf PivotedVto the linner side of cach of the` switchqaiis, und situated in aposition transverse thereto, is a pawl, l d, the innermost end of which.is connected with the. seme icrer D with which the sw1tcli-rails areconnected, as just set forth, by means of rods d. Formed in thenpperside of a transverse sleeper, F, ere two notches ef, which are sosituated that when the switch-raiis C nrein line with the rails A of themein traclr, one or" the pawls, t?, will catch into the notch e, andthun prevent the switch-rails from being moved inward, except throughthe agency of the levers D, es will presently be criplfained, while,when the switcl1rails nrc in line with the rails B of the side 'rock orturn-ont, the other peril will hold in the other notch f, and in likemanner prevent the switch-rails from moving inward uway from the saidside trnch, zany outward movement of the switch-rails in either positionbeing prevented by* iixed studs or shoulders j, secured to the tie E,situated at vthe free ends of the switch-rails, as shown more plainly inhg. 3. The shitting oi" the switch is produced by the lntsrol movementoi" the outer end of either of the leve Thus the outer end of eitherlever being moved in one direction, lthe innermost end thereof is, ofcourse, moved in the opposite direction, und drawing iirst open enc o?the rods CZ', lifts' the lockingpewl iconA ,Scted therewith clear fromthe :notch c orf, as the ease may he, and then drawing upon the rod cturns or shifts the sw,itohroils to the desiredposition, the length or"the slots e, hereinheforo described, enabling the lever to act firstupon the par-fl to disengage smne before shifting the switch. Situated.underneath the reni' part of the eax` or locomotive nre two longitudinehere. G, which orepiaced at distance apart equal to the width of one-ofthe heads At, end the inner of which. nre made convex, as shown iig: 52.v Each of these bers G is attached to the lower extremities of' twostems it, which entendupward in suitable bearings provided in theframework of the locomotive, and are noted upon spiral springs t', whichoperate to bring the bars G upward tothe bottoni or" the locomotive,ashereinoiter more fully explained. l represents two upright bars, ofwhich there is one to each ofthe operating bars G, justhereinbeforedescribed, thellowermcst end of each of the said uprighthars I having shoulders m formed upon it, which rest upon the upper sideof the contiguous horizontal operating bar G, and being provided with anextension on downwardly projecting portion m', which extends downthrough a. longi 'tudinal slot formed in the aforesaid bar G, as shownmore plainly in fig. 1. The upper end or portion of each of the saidupright bars I is formed with a notch in its front and rear side, asshown at u, and extends upwards through a slot, 71,', formed in theplatform J, in such manner that when the bar I is pushed downward, oneor the `otherof the notches u, according as the locomotive is runningwith one end or the other foremost, being caughtor fitted upon theshoulder formed at the end of the slot n', prevents the said bar fromrising, and consequently retains the horizontal operating bar G attachedthereto in a lowered or depressed position, as indicated in fig.

I. Situated transversely at'or about the longitudinal centres of the twoupright bars I, one in front and the other in Vrear of the said bars I,are two fixed rods 1', which constitute a fuleruui, upon which the harsI are tilted in the operation of the apparatus, as will presently befully explained.

As the locomotive approaches the switch one or the other of the uprightbars I, according to the direction in which it is desired to turn ershift the switch, is pushed downward until the notch n thereof, catchingupon the shoulder formed at the end of the slot n', through which thcsaid bar is passed, retains the operating bar G con nected therewith ina lowered or depressed position, as hereinbefore described, whereuponthe advancing movement of the locomotive brings the end of the operatingbar G, thus lowered, in contact with one ofthe inclined sides of thehead A* of the lever D over which the locomotive first passes, andacting upon the said side of the head, turns the lever laterally andoperates or shifts the switch, as hereinbefore explained, which heiligdone the projection m of the upright har strikes theld-bterallyprojecting pin b* situated upon the aforesaid side ofthe head A, whichtilts the bar I upon the fulcruin formed by the transverse rods r, andconsequently brings the notch n away from the shoulder formed at the endof lthe slot n', whereupon the springs i force the operating bar Gupward against the under side of the frame of the locomotive, so that itwill not be interfered with by the other or opposite lever D whenpassing over the same. Inasinuch as the inner ends of the levers D arepivoted together, the switch may be operated with equal facility by theaction of the .operating bars G upon the head A* of either of the saidlevers, so that the switch may be automatically shifted by thelocomotive when advancing in either direction.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The horizontal operating bars G, upright bars z', stems h, andsprings I, arranged to operate in relation with each other and with theplatform J, fulcrum r, and the laterally project-ing pins er studs b* ofthe lever heads Af, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

l 2. The combination of the locking pawlsl and rods d, with theswitch-rails C and' levers D, substantially as and for the purposeherein set forth.

' DANIEL SIMMONS.

Witnesses:

J. W. Cocinas, G. W. REED.

